Rounnd Design Alkaline Electrolyzer

Feedstock:
Hydrogen is widely used as a feedstock in various industries and sectors and serves as a key component in the production of chemicals, in refineries, steel manufacturing and power generation. Producing Hydrogen through alkaline water electrolysis enables these industries to decarbonise.

Chemical industry:
Hydrogen is a crucial feedstock, serving as a building block for the synthesis of a variety of chemical compounds and used in the production of ammonia, methanol, hydrogen peroxide and various organic compounds.

Refineries:
Hydrogen is utilised in refineries for hydroprocessing, where it is combined with heavy petroleum fractions to remove impurities and improve the quality of fuel products.

Steel production:
Hydrogen is employed in the iron and steel industry as a feedstock to reduce iron ore in to metallic iron in a process called direct reduction. This reduces carbon emissions associated with traditional production processes.

Power generation:
Hydrogen can be used as a feedstock for power generation through the utilisation of fuel cell technologies, which convert hydrogen in to electricity, usable as a clean energy source.

Mobility:
The use of hydrogen in mobility applications facilitates the transition to low-carbon transportation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It offers the advantage of providing a clean and sustainable energy source for a wide range of vehicles and transportation methods such as buses, trucks, taxis, personal cars, and even trains and ships. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles enable longer range and quicker refuelling times when compared to battery electric vehicles, crucially also reducing weight.

Fuel:
By converting renewable electricity into hydrogen through alkaline water electrolysis, hydrogen as a fuel can be stored and transported over long distances, buffering and balancing the intermittent nature of renewable electricity supplies. This fuel can then be used for power generation, steam production or even to replace natural gas in domestic heating applications.

An alkaline electrolyzer is a device that uses an electrolyte solution, typically potassium or sodium hydroxide, to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through a process called electrolysis. The chemical principle behind an alkaline electrolyzer is based on the principles of electrochemistry. In electrochemistry, chemical reactions are driven by the transfer of electrons from one substance to another. When an electrical current is applied to an electrolyte solution, it causes the electrolyte solution to undergo a process called electrolysis. During this process, the electrical current causes the water molecules to be split into their constituent atoms of hydrogen and oxygen.

In an alkaline electrolyzer, the process is made possible by the presence of the electrolyte solution, which contains hydroxide ions (OH-) that facilitate the transfer of electrons between the electrodes and the water molecules. The hydroxide ions are attracted to the positively charged anode (the electrode connected to the positive terminal of the power source) and the hydrogen ions (H+) are attracted to the negatively charged cathode (the electrode connected to the negative terminal of the power source).

● At the anode, water molecules are oxidized to form oxygen gas and positively charged hydrogen ions: 2H2O → O2 + 4H+ + 4e-
● At the cathode, hydrogen ions are reduced to form hydrogen gas: 4H+ + 4e- → 2H2
● Overall, the reaction can be expressed as: 2H2O → 2H2 + O2

The electrolyte solution plays an important role in the process by providing a conductive medium for the flow of electrons between the electrodes and the water molecules. The hydroxide ions in the electrolyte solution also help to maintain a stable pH level, which is important for the efficient functioning of the electrolyzer.